Clearly and Concisely
by Gypsy Dancing Girl
Summary: Fai and Kurogane discuss the story that Syaoran is explaining to them after he goes to sleep. Fai attempts to clear up any confusion with some helpful drawings and much teasing. Analysis and Theories based on Current manga chapters. No pairings.


**Title: Clearly and Concisely**

**Author: Gypsy Dancing Girl**

**Fandom: Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles w/ mentions of xxxHolic**

**Pairings: Real!Syaoran/Real!Sakura, Real!Syaoran/Clone!Sakura, Clone!Syaoran/Clone!Sakura, and CCS!Syaoran/CCS!Sakura (Whew! Here's to learning what a few of their real names are!)**

**Characters: Real!Syaoran, Fay, Kurogane, White Mokona; mentions of Fei Wong Reed, Yuko, Watanuki, Tomoyo, Clone!Syoaran, Clone!Sakura, Real!Sakura, CCS!Syaoran, CCS!Sakura, Fujitaka, Clow, and Black Mokona.**

**Genres: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Family, Friendship**

**Rating: T**

**Warnings: It is an overflow of angst, has spoilers up to current chapter 194 in the manga, and is a presentation of analysis and theory. Also, it doesn't really end, it just sort of trails off. Sorry.**

**Author's Notes: I figured, if we had a dramatic cut off and long wait, then Kurogane and Fay should too. I've noticed on forums recently that a lot of people are confused, and I can't blame them. I'm pretty confused too. However, I took the time to work out, what I think they're trying to tell us, so I put into fanfic form. The first part is total analysis based on what we've learned (I used a couple quotes to back it up). The second part is kind of a pet theory of mine (which I really don't like . . . if that makes sense). If Syaoran intends to rescue the Sakura "of that day," it sounds like he's trying to change the past (again), which would totally negate the need for a journey . . . and I really don't like that idea! Unfortunately for me, that's all I've been able to come up with that makes sense . . . although CLAMP is known for suddenly doing things that don't make sense, but after they explain it, it does suddenly make sense (so I still have hope). Oh, another pet theory . . . I was thinking about how Watanuki could be connected to Syaoran, and I was thinking he might be related to Eriol . . . therefore also a descendent of Clow if that makes sense. It's about as likely as anything else.**

Fai gently laid one hand on Syaoran's shoulder, interrupting the narrative. "It's late, Syaoran-kun . . . and you need proper sleep. Go on and get some rest. Mokona too." He shooed the manju off of Kurogane.

"Mokona is very tired," the little white ball of fluff announced, bouncing into Syaoran's arms.

"Is everything clear so far?" Syaoran asked tiredly, obediently following Fai's directions as the mage laid out the bed roll.

Kurogane nodded once. "Get some sleep, kid. It's late, and you can explain the rest in the morning."

Fai took the time to tuck Syaoran and Mokona in. Kurogane simply watched as the two dozed off, before shoving the Mage into the seat across from him.

Completely unruffled, Fai tilted his head. "Kuro-tan?"

"I didn't understand a word he said," Kurogane admitted gruffly. "And I'm beginning to lose count of how many kids are involved in this mess. But I know you understood the whole thing. So . . . can you explain it clearly and concisely?" His skeptical expression made it clear that the last adjective was only a futile hope.

"Of course, Kurogane!" Fai pulled a thick pad of paper out of his traveling bag and waved a pen around excitedly. "Alright, the story begins with the Syaoran and Sakura from Yuko-san's world." Kurogane squeezed his eyes shut. They were back to the stupid cat and dog drawings. "They're all grown up now, and our current Syaoran is their son, only his real name isn't Syaoran. He's using his Father's name . . . sort of how we've borrowed names, understand?" He beamed at Kurogane, and the ninja had the unpleasant feeling that his Princess Tomoyo was no longer the only one who knew his true name.

Kurogane nodded slowly, forcing his metal fingers to unclench from the stone step before the indents became full impressions.

"Now our current Syaoran is connected to Watanuki-kun from Yuko-san's shop in some mysterious way that he has yet to explain, so Watanuki is also involved, but that's not important yet. The Sakura from Yuko-san's world paid a price so that her son could come here (to Clow) to meet his destined person, Sakura-hime."

"Except he doesn't think that Sakura is her real name," Kurogane interrupted.

"Exactly," Fai beamed, patting Kurogane on the head like the ninja was a prize pupil solving a difficult algebra problem. "In Clow, Sakura-hime had the same parents as the Sakura from Yuko-san's world, but she gave the appearance of wanting to contradict Syaoran-kun when he tried to call her Sakura. So it's very likely that her real name isn't Sakura at all, and we've all made this entire journey using aliases," Fai chuckled at the irony. "Pretty silly when you think of it that way, huh?"

"Names are important," Kurogane grumbled, quoting one of Yuko's favorite sayings. "My nicknames look pretty respectable now. At least I could be sure that you were a mage, the kid was a kid, the princess a princess, and the manju a talking pastry."

"Hush, Kuro-rin. You'll get us off-topic." Fai referred to his new drawing of the little puppy avatar. "Syaoran-kun was supposed to go home after a few days, but something happened that made him stay, because Syaoran-kun said "we were always together . . . from the first time we met seven days before her seventh birthday . . . until I reached the age you see me at now . . . always." So he never went home, but even then, something else must have happened, because Syaoran-kun needed to turn back time and pay a heavy price."

"Too heavy," Kurogane muttered, thinking of the tube that their current ward had described once, the clone, the stolen eye, and everything else that plagued the boy. "He was captured."

"Mm-hmm," Fai nodded. "In the new timeline, he never met Sakura-hime. He was captured by Fei Wong Reed and imprisoned while his clone (containing half of his heart) was set free and adopted by Fujitaka-san."

"Who was supposed to be the King, but the princess said her father's name was Clow . . ." Kurogane trailed off in confusion. "I know the clone!kid didn't have memories to realize the lie, but how did they fool everyone else?"

"That's a question for tomorrow, Kuro-chi. Fujitaka adopted the clone, probably without even realizing that there had been a switch. The King and Queen were expecting Syaoran-kun after all. But Clow acted as King during this timeline up until the point where Sakura-hime's feathers were scattered and she was cloned. Then Syaoran-kun (the clone) brought the clone of the princess to Yuko-san's shop."

"So the clone hadn't lost her memories . . . she never had any to begin with. When we found the feathers, we were doing Fei Wong Reed's dirty work by planting memories of another's past . . . and the witch set us up to do it!" Kurogane realized in an outrage, jumping to his feet, Ginryu begging to be drawn.

"I'm sure Yuko-san had her reasons," Fai reminded him, tugging on the black cape to abruptly seat the ninja. "Besides, if we didn't give Sakura-chan the feathers, she would have died so much earlier and it wasn't her fault!"

Kurogane quieted, his eyes softening a touch as he remembered the shy sweet princess that was so completely unassuming that he hadn't been able to resist slipping into the position of bodyguard. Tomoyo expected a great deal from him, and his first loyalty would always be to her . . . but Sakura had her own place in Kurogane's very short list of precious people . . . even if that list got longer every time a new incarnation of one of the kids was revealed.

"So we traveled with the two clones from the very beginning until Syaoran-kun managed to free himself and then the boys switched." That was one way of putting the agonizing fight, the mage's near-death experience, the princess' broken heart, and months of tension. "In Infinity, the clone of the princess was split body and soul, and although we succeeded in rescuing the body, the soul was killed in Nihon during the fight between the two boys," Fai's voice became very grave. "And then we lost Sakura-chan's body too."

Kurogane looked away, waiting for the mage to compose himself and continue, stealing the white pad of paper to pretend he was studying Fai's diagrams and stupid drawings.

When Fai continued, it was still very sorrowful. "Syaoran-kun said that he intends to rescue both of them, but I can't help but think that he intends to do that by fixing time so that none of this is ever needed. After all, he wants to "retrieve the Sakura of that day." The clones, the journey, the Mokona . . . none of it will need to exist. We will never meet the kids or Mokona or each other. And of course I'll be happy for Syaoran-kun and Sakura-chan . . . but . . ." Fai grew very quiet, but Kurogane was a ninja and it was said in Nihon that he could hear a whisper from across the castle. ". . . I always thought this journey was the best thing that ever happened to me."

Kurogane huffed and smacked the mage upside the back of the head. Startled, Fai almost fell forward into the campfire if not for Kurogane anticipating that and shoving the mage back into place with his metal arm. "I told you I'd hit you whenever you were stupid."

Fai stared at him blankly.

"If fixing time will save everyone, then that's what we'll do," Kurogane stated gruffly. "But that's not going to change anything about this journey. Even if the kids don't need it any more, I'm awfully stubborn and so is Tomoyo. She'll still send me on a quest for true strength . . . whatever that is. And you'll need to run from your problems as usual, so we'll still meet and have to follow the little pork bun around. So if all else fails, I'll wish to go to Clow so we can kidnap the kids, because there is no way in this or any other world, I'm going to subject myself alone to two years of you and the manju."

Fai smiled one of his rare real smiles. "I'd like that," he nodded dreamily. "A trip without worrying about feathers. I'm sure there would be danger, but it would be very boring for Kuro-tan if there wasn't anything for him to fight. Some adventure would be a lot of fun. And it'd be nice to go to all the different worlds and help people without the potential cost of a feather hanging over our heads. I never liked being the bad guy. And it would be nice for Syaoran-kun and Sakura-chan to remember each other and be so completely adorable in their shy obliviousness."

Kurogane snorted. "What I'd like to know is how the originals from the Witch's World managed to get together in the first place without all the hinting and prodding that you've been bludgeoning ours with."

"Maybe we'll get a chance to ask," Fai grinned. "I wonder if they blush as badly as ours do."

Kurogane snorted. "Any redder, and the kid would look like a tomato."

"It'd be so cute," Fai chuckled, laying out his own bedroll. "So to answer your question from earlier, there are three Syaorans, and three Sakuras, and Watanuki-kun. How embarrassing a question would it take to make them all blush at once?"

"Idiot," Kurogane scoffed, tossing his helmet at the blonde.

Fai caught it before it could rebound off his head as Kurogane planned and tossed it back. "Sometimes it's fun to be an idiot . . . Kuro-rin should try it sometime. Good night, Kuro-sama." Fai dropped face first into his pillow, making Kurogane wince as he always did, but the mage hadn't died from suffocation yet.

Kurogane snorted and returned his attention to the fire, and the kid sleeping just behind it. He'd stay up to keep watch as usual. Let Fei Wong Reed try a surprise attack. He'd messed with the wrong ninja.

**The End.**


End file.
